I neither created nor own Middle Earth, The Hidden Valley, Steward Erestor, Lord Elrond, Lord Glorfindel the Balrog Slayer, Elladan, Elrohir, nor Estel. I did create Agargol the Healer and Mellolaes the Nurse.

This story is for entertainment purposes only so please read and be entertained. :)

"Are we really making medicine, Melly?"

The elleth smiled as she bent over the plant and picked the leaves she felt the most potential in, carefully leaving the rest. "Of course we are, mellon nin." She turned to place the leaf in the basket Estel held up, but paused with the leaf before his face. "See the color?"

Estel tilted his head and nodded. The elleth's smile widened. "Remember it well. 'This' shade shows how good it will be for curing colds in mortals."

The boy's eyebrows rose. "It will make mortals warm when they are cold?"

Mellolaes shook her head and laughed. "No. I fear only another warm form of flesh or fire, or sunshine does that. When a mortal is sick with a certain sickness though, it will help them heal."

Estel grinned. "Oh."

He held the basket up higher. Mellolaes dropped the leaf into the basket.

. . .

"Lean into each press, Esel. Use your own weight."

Estel rocked forward. His tongue left his mouth in his effort. "Like this?"

Mellolaes looked over his shoulder and watched the juice bubble forth and solid substances turned to mush beneath the pestle push. She clapped. "Yes, yes, Mellon nin. Well done."

She bent over and pressed a kiss to the boy's head. One hand released the pestle to rub the kissed spot, but Estel stood a little straighter and grinned before bending over into his next press.

. . .

"Agargol, what is contained in these jars?" Erestor's brows had furrowed into a "V."

He gripped a wax-sealed lid and held the round container before the healer's eyes. Through the glass an unfamiliar shade of green could be seen.

Argargol leaned back against the shelf behind him and bit into a carrot. He studied the jar's contents while chewing. The longer he let Erestor feel the awkwardness draw out, the less steam he would deal with when he replied.

The Healer feared his lord's steward not. As second-in-command of the Healing Ward, Argargol answered only to Elrond. He swallowed his bite of carrot and nodded. "That, dear Erestor, is a new concoction we are trying."

"And why, when we are the most renowned healing center in all middle earth, are we trying new healing concoctions? Is there a flaw in this ward's practices I should know of?"

Argargol waited until Erestor had finished before taking "another" bite out of his carrot. He chewed several times before swallowing. "We often have over-potent mixtures on hand for the slight ailments we treat. Using these takes much study and precise measuring. Also, some of the rarer plants imported from far away lands get over-stressed from too much harvesting, or so Galasmaed says. Mellolaes, having explored our valley, told Galasmaed and I she knew of healing mixtures our own, wild plants could be made into. While not as potent, their ingredients are more plentiful. They can also accomplish the same tasks when more lavishly ingested by or applied to a patient."

Erestor raised an eyebrow. "And what is the point of these more lavish ingestings and applications?"

"With the potent mixtures we often have to measure out miniscule proportions for mortals, especially manlings. Not to mention we have had a difficult time training mortal students in the creation and use of our potent treatments. Young mortal students are particularly incapable of handling such potions with the necessary care. With these mixtures of Mellolaes', Estel can begin to learn more healing arts now. He can make mistakes and be generous with her ointments, teas, and tonics. He even helped Mellolaes and I prepare them today. Our Lord's son seemed quite happy to be about his adda's work."

Erestor closed his eyes and counted to fifty. Argargol bit off, chewed up, and swallowed three more bites of carrot. When the healer finished off his vegetable, he raised an eyebrow at the Steward. "Is there a problem, Erestor?"

"I have no idea what these new mixtures do, are, or how fast we shall run out of them! I have ordered supplies, and kept enough of the old mixtures on hand so exactly for centuries we've not had to add new shelves nor run out of something for all that time! Now I not only don't know what we need! I don't know what we have!"

The corners of Agargol's lips twitched upwards. "Well, I think I can recall enough to tell you, but to be even more certain, you could talk to our Silvan nurse ..."

. . .

Mellolaes made short bursts of air pop from her lips. She was marching a clay troll across the floor step by step. "Boom, boom, boom." Her troll approached the figurine of a dark-haired ellon upon his horse. Mellolaes made her melodious voice oddly low and gravelly. "Me eat you!"

Estel swept his arm in an arc. "Ah-hah!" Another mounted ellon, identical to the first, had rushed the troll's left side. The second ellon's spear-point entered the troll's ear. Estel grinned wickedly. "Got you!"

Mellolaes swung her troll around to face this new threat. It's wooden club rushed toward the horse's shoulder. Her higher, melodious voice returned. "Oh no! The the shoulder of Elladan's mighty steed will be smashed!"

"Not if Elrohir stops it!"

Estel grabbed his other figurine and trotted it toward the troll. Mellolaes backed her toy away from the Elladan figurine and opened her mouth, but a sound came from the doorway. "Ah-hem."

The elleth turned to see Erestor standing in the doorway and staring at her. She raised her eyebrows. What could the steward want to see her about now? He usually avoided her. He must know how important her job was today, why she kept Estel busy with this activity.

Nevertheless, Mellolaes rose to her feet, brushed her skirt, more from nerves than to rid it of any clinging dust, and moved toward Erestor. She turned back to point a finger at the three figurines while still moving forward. "Give me a moment, mellon nin, and keep up the attack. I'll have the troll give a good death-cry when I return."

Estel looked up and gave her a grave nod. "Okay, Melly." The boy nudged the Elladan figurine toward the backed-away troll. Then he reached for Elrohir to place him at Elladan's side.

A golden kitten sat in the corner of the room. He had been staring at the unfolding drama on the floor almost since it began. Now, he rose to his four paws and approached the scene. Then he sat back down and smacked the troll with one paw. Estel looked up. "Little Glorfindel! Don't do that!"

Mellolaes turned back to her charge. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Why not, Estel? Shouldn't the Balrog Slayer give aid to thy brothers?"

Estel's eyes widened. Then he picked up the troll and waved it back and forth before his pet. "Rarrr! Raaaaaa!"

Little Glorfindel started back onto his haunches. Then he raised both paws with claws out and smacked either side of the troll's head.

Erestor raised an eyebrow for Mellolaes to notice when she turned back to him. She paused and tilted her head at him. "Is something wrong?"

"What if the creature scratches, Estel?"

Mellolaes glanced over her shoulder. Estel had picked the toy up by a hand-length metal rod protruding from the figurine's back. The whole set had these rods. They could be picked up and scooted forward easily by them. Little Glorfindel's paws were smacking the loathsome, wooden form many places, but they would have to reach far indeed around to harm his master.

"I would say that is unlikely. If he does, I will tend to Estel's hand and tell him of the importance of being careful with other creatures, even our dearest pets."

Erestor cleared his throat. "Very well, but I'd like to know why you added so many new mixtures to our healing supplies and what they are."

Mellolaes turned a grin upon the ellon. "Oh, is that what you wish to ask me about? Would you mind if we wait? I'd like an opportunity to quiz Estel upon what he learned the day we made them."

Erestor stopped himself from squirming. Having something extra or out-of-place in his lord's house was like an itch he longed to scratch. "Why must we wait for this 'quiz'? We can take Estel to the Healing Ward and give it to him now."

Mellolaes frowned. "He needs to keep doing 'this' a while longer. Besides, you know he will need a distraction within a few days."

Erestor felt his teeth clamping together. She was right. He glanced at the boy. Little Glorfindel had just abandoned their game and was heading back to his corner. Estel raised his gaze to stare after the creature's tail. The mortal pouted. "Awwwwww! Glordel, come back!"

Mellolaes, knowing she had won, turned and walked back to her charge. "Glordel is bored now Estel, but I shall play with you again."

Estel grinned up to her. "Yay!"

Erestor frowned and smothered a growl at Mellolaes' back. She had departed their conversation without a word of acceptance or dismissal from him. The ellon turned away himself. A shrill voice stopped him. "Erestor, aren't you going to play with us?"

He turned back to see both boy and elleth staring up at him. He cleared his throat and managed to keep his countenance and voice smooth. "Not now, Estel, but later perhaps. In fact, in a few days I would like you to teach me something."

Estel sat up straight. He set his hands upon his knees and stared with much wider eyes. "Really?"

"Yes, about the new mixtures in the healing ward."

Estel blinked. Then stood up on his knees spread his arms wide. "Huzzah! That will be the best day ever!"

A grin flashed like lightning over the ellon's face. Then his gaze flitted to the elleth's smirk. Erestor cleared his throat again. "Yes, Estel, I'm sure it will be." The noldo turned away again and this time strode away as well.

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God Bless

ScribeofHeroes